launch

The top-down shooter game, Halo: Spartan Assault, has been crashing the party across multiple platforms including Windows Phone, Windows 8, and Xbox One. The game has been well received by many critics (including us here at WPCentral) and is helping to set a new standard of what we can expect on our multitude of Microsoft devices. The party is about to expand though – Halo: Spartan Assault will be heading to Xbox 360 tomorrow.

It has been a whirlwind year for Windows Phone 8, especially in the last few months. Today, Microsoft gets another feather in their cap with the unveiling of Path beta for Windows Phone 8.

Announced back in July during the Lumia 1020 reveal, the app is now available to download for Windows Phone 8 devices and finishes the 2013 blitz of apps and games.

Path, launched in November 2010, is yet-another social network. It originally made waves on the iPhone, later expanding to Android and iOS in general (iPad). It’s claim to fame? Path is a private social-network, where the user can purposefully limit who views and accesses their timeline to just friends and family. In fact, it’s limited to just 150 contacts max with no “public view” at all. Users can share messages and photos with those closest to them, without any fear of accidentally posting something publicly i.e. the opposite of Facebook.

The Nokia Lumia 1520 is the company's first of two "phablets" running Windows Phone 8. The handset itself is slowly launching in numerous markets worldwide, which now includes the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India following tomorrow. If you've been waiting for this Windows Phone and reside in the UAE, you'll be able to pick one up from Nokia Stores starting today.

Dell has launched the refreshed XPS 15 Windows 8 laptop in Australia. The laptop may look relatively similar, and so it should as it shares its looks with the Dell M3800. The new XPS 15 starts at $1,799 (AUD) and comes with a 1080p display and 8GB RAM. However, if you wish to go all out with the 3200x1800 QHD+ models, be prepared to part with at least $2,499. It's not a cheap investment.

Attention Microsoft fans, it is officially October 22, 2013 here in the United States, and the latest generation of Surface tablets are now available for your purchasing delight. In addition, all new Surface accessories are also available including the refined Touch Cover 2 and Type Cover 2. The questions many are asking, are of course "should I pick one up for the first time?" and "should I replace my current Surface device with the Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2?"..

How excited are you for the launch of Microsoft’s latest gaming console, the Xbox One? Do you count down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until you can get your precious hands on the next generation gaming monster? If Xbox One is all you can think of, you might want to check out the Microsoft Store’s Xbox One Countdown app for Windows 8.

Microsoft’s latest upgrade to their Windows 8 operating system will begin to hit user machines within the next 12 hours – and it is ready to pack a punch.

Are you ready for the upgrade? Do you have a few questions on how to get it? No worries, check below for a crash course in Windows 8.1 then be sure to tune in as we release our full Windows 8.1 review in the coming week.

Are you so excited for Microsoft’s launch of Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 that you wish you could lineup outside a Microsoft store and wait till 12:01 AM to get one? If the answer to that question is yes, then you just might be in luck! Ten Microsoft retail stores will be hosting midnight launch events – and one might be near you.

What’s cooler than the yellow Nokia Lumia 1020? How about some people skydiving over the “OMG is that real?” city of Dubai.

Dubai, located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is not too far from Abu Dhabi where Nokia will be in a few weeks for Nokia World 2013. With sprawling skyscrapers, the mega city claims 2,106,177 residents and it is home to the Burj Khalifa aka the tallest manmade structure in the world at 829.8 m (2,722 ft).

If you are excited for Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 8.1, there is no longer a need wait on your purchase. Windows 8.1 is now available for pre-order at Microsoft's website with a launch date of October 18.

A copy of Windows 8.1 can be picked up for $119 and a copy of Windows 8.1 Pro can be picked up for $199. We want to remind all of our readers that if you are currently running Windows 8, you will receive a free update on October 17 and there is no need to spend any money.

The Lumia 1020 is slowly launching in numerous markets and the Philippines is the next region waiting in line. The Windows Phone will be available at Nokia and supporting retail stores from October 11th, priced at P35,650 ($820). Just like multiple deals covered already, the device will be bundled with the Nokia Camera Grip for free.

If you love indie games, you might be a bit disappointed by Microsoft’s latest statement at Games Industry International. The company’s corporate vice president, Phil Harrison, stated that indie titles for Xbox One are mostly likely to launch in early 2014.

AT&T is on board with picking up the 6-inch Nokia Lumia 1520, which is expected to launch in early November according to one of our reliable sources. Windows Phone Central now has some further confirmation from a second person familiar with the matter.

The new info points to a planned Friday, November 8th launch date on AT&T for the colossal Windows Phone.

We can also confirm that the device will come in four colors, including red, black, yellow and white—most of which have already been revealed in either leaked photos or renders. Evidently, cyan for AT&T is a thing of the past as the Lumia 920 was the last phone to feature that hue.

The launch of Microsoft’s next gaming console, Xbox One, is right around the corner and the company is still suffering fallout from a poor launch event. Instead of judging the console from what you read online, wouldn’t it be great to see it in person? If you are in the New England area of the United States next week– you just might be in luck.

Nokia is reportedly preparing to launch the massive 6-inch Nokia Lumia 1520 this fall and Windows Phone Central can now bring you a little more information about the device.

Yesterday, EvLeaks claimed that the Lumia 1520 will “launch” on September 26th, though we understand that to be incorrect. The device is still planned to be announced on this date but it won’t launch until early November on AT&T. That makes much more sense as GDR3 is still being finalized and GDR2 hasn’t even finished rolling out yet.

It seems only yesterday that Microsoft’s latest console, the Xbox One, was revealed on the Xbox Campus. In reality, the console was revealed months ago on May 21st, 2013. Now, Major Nelson has published photos of the first batch of Xbox One consoles ready to ship out.

France seems to gravitating as a whole towards the Windows Phone platform, at least according to Kantar’s latest numbers where they’ve garnered 11% of sales. So it should be exciting for our French friends to learn that the 41 MP Nokia Lumia 1020 will be arriving there at the beginning of October.

Users in many foreign countries won’t be able to command their Xbox One via voice command this November when the console launches. Sources are beginning to report that the fine print on Microsoft’s website (you know, that little bit of text you never read) states that the voice command feature will be limited to only a few areas at launch.